A BOX OF PROMISES by Michelle Levigne

A BOX OF PROMISES by Michelle Levigne

Tabor Heights Year Two


Meg, Andrea, Ray, Bergen and Casey -- dorm sisters with summer plans. Meg: help Mexican orphans. Andrea: publish newspaper articles. Ray: get Michael's attention. Bergen: work with wolves at the zoo. Casey: survive as head camp lifeguard. Those who don't reach their goals pay for a pizza party at the end of the summer.

Sunburn, bubblegum in hair, "mean girls," lunatic customers, temporary blindness, political games and other assorted problems detour the girls from their goals. Life sneaks up and surprises them with opportunities they never expected -- along with five men who find them more than interesting. Will they survive their summer and reach their goals? By the time they return to their dorm, the girls realize that life is what happens when you make other plans.

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Excerpt

We, the undersigned, do hereby swear before God and these witnesses, that we will do something worthwhile and will come back to the fourth floor of Ontario Hall, Butler-Williams University, on Wednesday, August 26, to report to each other on our summer apart.

Anyone who does not fulfill their specific goals or do something even more worthwhile shall pay forfeit by buying a pizza party for all members of the pact.

Solemnly sworn and witnessed. The dorm sisters, fourth floor, Ontario Hall:

Casey Jenkins
VOW: Save a life, get a date for end-of-camp dance
Actually save a life, not just some airhead's social standing like last year when I fixed her dress with a stapler and paperclips -- and get a real date with a guy near my own age, not a pity date with one of the maintenance guys from the boys' camp across the lake.

Meg Tally
VOW: Lose twenty pounds, read through the entire Bible, and teach sewing so all my students have a new dress by the end of the summer.

Maraya Hammersmith
VOW: Work six VBS sessions, grow my hair, get a tan, and finally get the attention of Michael Naismith.

Bergen Mercer
VOW: Work my way up to a job in Wolf Wilderness.

Andrea Gregory
VOW: Write and publish two stories for the Tabor Picayune

A BOX OF PROMISES, Excerpt #2

By the time Hess got off the phone, Andrea had read through fifteen reports and typed in the most interesting and off-beat of them into her computer. Just fifteen incidents over the weekend. It barely took any time at all to go through them. Barking dogs. Kids skinny-dipping in the park after hours. The "ghost" at the Historical Society building turned out to be an archivist working late. The person who reported the ghost had broken her glasses that morning and couldn't see beyond the reach of her hand.

"Slim pickings this week," Hess said with a grin and a shrug, when he walked over to retrieve the report book.

"That loony over on Prague Rd. threatened to beat up the entire circulation department again," she offered.

"Yeah, we know. We have a special folder just for all his threats. The thing is, Prague Road is the dividing line between Tabor and Hyburg, and he's on the Hyburg side of the line. All his threats are for the police in Hyburg to deal with." "Especially since he's grumbling about Hyburg's paper, not ours, and the threats are against their circulation department, not ours. You can't tell him that, though. Every time someone tells him he's calling the wrong office, he goes into his rant about how all the newspapers in the country are owned by the government and he doesn't pay his taxes to get a runaround from lazy communist pinko wannabes who wouldn't know good customer service if it gave them a black eye."

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WHEELS by Michelle L. Levigne

WHEELS by Michelle L. Levigne 

Tabor Heights Year Two

Natalie was the little girl across the street who adored Tommy and planned to marry him when they grew up. In the wake of Tommy's broken back and the disintegration of his family, Natalie's family left town.

She never thought she would see him again, until she was assigned to cover the Mission's handicap awareness campaign -- led by Tommy. He didn't seem to recognize her, and she didn't want to embarrass him by bringing up the past, but she had to warn him before the past found Tommy in the shape of his estranged father.

Just when was the right time, in the middle of the campaign and threats from petty criminals who were blackmailing one of Tommy's friends?

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Excerpt

"And you are?" Tommy leaned forward. His eyebrows rose a little when she just stared into his big, chocolate eyes. "Sorry, but nobody told me a reporter was coming. I don't know who you are."

"Oh." She wished she had taken him up on that drink -- she could have splashed it on her face, and maybe generated enough steam to hide behind. "Sorry. Natalie Schaeffer."

"Right!" He leaned back, twisting sideways in his chair so he hooked his right arm over and behind the push-handle.

"You know who I am?"

"Gee, you look so young." He snorted when she shook her head, completely lost. "Natalie Schaffer. She played Mrs. Howell on 'Gilligan's Island.'"

"You are the only person in the whole world who would remember something like that. But it is a different spelling, I must point out."

"Picky, picky. There was this girl I knew when I was a kid. She made the same argument. I used to call her 'Lovey,' and sing the bars about the millionaire and his wife, and she would run away in terror. Gee, give a guy a complex. I was just a dumb kid -- how could I tell her I was passionately in love with her? It just wasn't cool for guys my age." Tommy chuckled. "That's off the record, right?"

"Oh, absolutely. Why would I want to mortally embarrass you in front of half the country?" Natalie bent her head over her notepad, thankful she had written down a list of questions she wanted to ask him. Please, please, please, don't let him recognize me now, after he said all that.

A warm glow shot through her. Tommy had been in love with her, all those years ago? She had been pleased and mortified when he teased her about her name. Maybe if she hadn't run away, she might have known? Then again, what good would it have done either of them, after her father took them to a new church, a new town, and a new state?

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INVITATION TO A WEDDING by Michelle L. Levigne

INVITATION TO A WEDDING by Michelle L. Levigne

A Tabor Heights, Ohio Story

Stacy Belmont was "just" the housekeeper's granddaughter, according to the social snobs in Tabor Heights, and all during their school years, Gretchen Crenshaw fought to "put her in her place" and away from Dinah Ashcroft.

Time, careers, and distance created silence between Stacy and Dinah, who had once vowed to be each other's maid of honor. When Dinah eloped with her Marine hero, Gretchen took over to help plan the blow-out reception of the decade -- and keep Stacy out in the cold.

Drake came home from seminary for the party and knew something was wrong when Stacy left Dinah's present on the back step. When he set out to right a wrong -- Stacy was practically family, after all -- he discovered how important she was to him, and not just as his sister's best friend.

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EXCERPT

"Gretchen never called me." Stacy stopped at the head of the stairs.

"You just said you heard from her--"

"No, I overheard her in the store, loudly telling her cronies how she's the maid of honor and Dinah is depending on her for everything."

"That's only in her really warped imagination." He caught hold of her hands between his, and she realized how much her hands shook and felt icy. "Just this morning, Di said if this was her wedding, you'd still be her maid of honor."

"Really?" No way was she going to let those tears come, but it was a close battle.

"Yeah, and she's been wishing she never hooked up with Gretchen down in Virginia. You should have heard the fight they had over the favors. Di insisted on peach candy sticks and doves, but Gretchen kept saying bells and almonds are in. What doesn't she get that this is Di's party and not hers?"

"She's using the peach sticks and doves?"

Stacy lost the fight with the tears. The next thing she knew, Drake had his arms around her and she was soaking his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here to make sure everything works out." He sighed and tipped his head so his cheek pressed against her temple. "I know everything's a big mess right now, but honest, Stace, it's all a big mistake. We didn't mean to leave you out. Mom put your name at the top of the guest list and Di swears your name was the first one on the sheet of address labels."

"I guess I was kind of stupid, just sitting and waiting. I could have asked." She sniffled and thought about stepping out of Drake's arms, but she was afraid her wobbly knees might just fold underneath her. Besides, he smelled heavenly, spicy and warm and clean, and she would probably never again have a chance to be held tight against him like this. "I should have known your family wouldn't just shove me out in the cold, like Gre--"

"Like Gretchen has been saying we should do since you guys were in fourth grade? Yeah, like we'd let her tell us what's right and wrong?" Drake chuckled, and the sensation of his chest vibrating against her was delightful.

"Come on, Stace, you gotta come to the party. I mean, if not for Di, then for me."

"You?" A giggle burst out of her. She nearly lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him, positive he was teasing her.

"Yeah, you gotta save me. Gretchen is trying to make sure I'm her date, and I'd rather get the plague than spend the evening with her. Do it for me?"

"Oh, of course, I have to defend your honor." Stacy sniffed and raised her head. She knew better than to look into his eyes as she reluctantly stepped out of his arms. Wiping her eyes, she managed a smile. "Don't you know I'd do anything for you, Drake Ashcroft?"

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